Dr. Steve Thomson, agriculture engineer in the USDA-ARS Crop Production Systems Research Unit at Stoneville, MS, discusses research that he and colleagues are conducting to collect data that can be used to determine when “stable” atmospheric conditions that will result in a temperature inversion will occur. A temperature inversion is a weather occurrence that is frequently associated with calm wind that will greatly increase the risk of drift of aerially-applied pesticides to unintended, offsite targets. Information derived from calculations using these data will provide aerial applicators the information they will need to determine when it is safe to spray without the weather conditions that will cause a temperature inversion.
